Just Add Water
Plant an English garden with this seed-infused mat. Unroll it onto the ground, water regularly, and watch more than 1,000 seeds grow into a 9-foot-long border of 10 flower varieties, including snapdragon and salvia. (English Cutting Garden by Creative Garden Concepts, $24.57, QVC; 888-345-5788; qvc.com)
Paradise Planner
Pretty much everything but world peace can be designed using this software. But for starters, plan a topographically correct landscape for your yard, with or without a deck, pool, or patio. (Master Landscape Pro, $69.99, Punch! Software; punchsoftware.com)
Extend Yourself
Spiders will cower in the face of this lightweight aluminum dusting pole that extends to 16 feet. Each set comes with six interchangeable heads, from ostrich feathers to lamb's wool. (Telescoping duster-and-washer set, $129.00, Frontgate; frontgate.com)
Photo by Ames F. Tiedeman
The Lawn Patrol
A rechargeable lawn mower powers up for three hours of self-propelled cutting and mulching, clipping about 5,400 square feet per charge. (RoboMower RL1000, $1,999, Probotics; 866-392-3766; probotics.com)
Update appliances and hardware with a sleek new finish, a paint made of automotive-grade stainless steel. (Thomas' Liquid Stainless Steel, $99 to $139 per kit; 800-650-5699; liquidstainlesssteel.com)
Photo by Sharon Risedorph, San Francisco
Major Hang-Ups
Sliced bread has nothing on this invention—a kit of frames that includes an easy-to-use template for hanging an entire wall's worth of art. To get it straight, use a handheld laser level (above). (The Perfect Picturewall Series 1000, $349; thepicturewallcompany.com. Black & Decker Bullseye auto-leveling laser with Angle Pro, $29.97, Lowe's; lowes.com)
Photo by Don Summers Graphic Design
A Simple Floor Plan
Save your back, your time, and your floors by testing arrangements with these life-size paper furniture cutouts. (Lay-It-Out furniture templates, $39.99 for the Total Home Package; 202-744-1153; layitout.com)
Instant Drapification
This custom-curtain king is finally stocking its most popular drapery textiles in ready-to-ship standard sizes. (Drapery Out-of-a-Box, $81 to $675, the Silk Trading Co.; www.silktrading.com)
Cutting Edge
Here's a kit that will help lay down the straightest of edges while painting the walls of your home. (No Tape Edge-n-Roll roller-and-tray combo by Zibra, $18.88, the Home Depot; 800-466-3337; homedepot.com)
Makeover in the Mail
For smaller interior-design projects, this service takes an inventory of your preferences and possessions and then sends you a boxful of customized ideas. (Instant Space by Betsy Burnham, $750 to $1,250 per room, Burnham Design; 323-857-1854; burnhamdesign.com)
Photo David Meredith; art direction by the Valentine Group
Pieces on Earth
FLOR carpet tiles adhere to the floor and come in a range of designs and finishes. ($6.99 to $28.99 per square; 866-281-3567; florcatalog.com)
MiYO vinyl flooring tiles from Armstrong
Vinyl Flooring Tiles
Multipatterned MiYO vinyl flooring tiles from Armstrong are applied to a liner, allowing for easy removal. ($7 per 16-inch square; miyoflooring.com)
